Hacker News Reader

Comment by Baeocystin | Hacker News Reader

As a caucasian who grew up in SE Asia... Lemme tell you, the number of times I was politely but firmly 'corrected' in how to hold chopsticks as a kid (which varied literally from family to family, so there was no way to win this game) is an equal part funny and stressful memory. :D Local parents had Strong Opinions on this!

View on HN

As a lefty who lived in China for 9 years, they took one look at me and gave up. Something about using the wrong hand to eat with chopsticks just freezing minds.

if everybody is using chopsticks with their right hand, and you use your left, there will be "contention" haha

Left-hander here. Yes, that's why I'm practising using my right hand to use chopsticks too.

It's still weaker and not as flexible as using my left hand to eat, but I'm working on it. :-)

Yes, tightly packed circular tables were my bane.

Ha! Was it Thailand? Thailand is weird because you eat food deemed Chinese with chopsticks, and food deemed Thai with a fork and spoon, and displaying some Chinese heritage is a prestige thing

For me it was Laos, Thailand, and Yunnan province of China. :)

The Lao didn't care, we mostly ate with our hands. Thai were all over the place, but man did I get schooled hard while we were in Yunnan!

> displaying some Chinese heritage is a prestige thing

Considering the amount of racism towards Chinese I have encountered in Thailand, I somewhat doubt that.

But you’d be wrong! The locals can be vocally pretty hostile to mainlanders, but it’s important to have a Chinese grandparent. Source: ask any of your hi-so Thai friends

Reply on news.ycombinator.com